Since my last race of the season (the Palo Duro Marathon), the pendulum swung into my “off-season.” I normally take a couple weeks off the bike to let the systems power down after thousands of miles of racing and riding over the course season. What have I been doing?
While in ABQ, I actually had time to spend with my family because I didn’t have to worry about training. Sure, I rode 2 or 3 times during the week but they were short. I needed to get a fix of my home trails. I even got to do a short ride in Santa Fe with the BTI guys on Dale’s Ball (haha)
Dad and Grandparents
Parents
I ran/hike/shuffled to the top of La Luz Trail and back down the day before Thanksgiving. It ended up being 16 miles in all. It had been 6+ years since I had been on the trail and it didn’t disappoint. In fact, it was much easier than I remembered. The last time I did that trail was before I rode and raced bikes!
I was sore the next day, but not too bad and I almost ate guilt free!
On Black Friday, my friend John Stevens and I attempted to do the San Ysidro Dirt Century Course, but it was blowing and rainy. We still got out and started at 7 AM. After about an hour of pedaling into the wind and rain on the worst washboard road I have seen in a long time, I pulled the plug. I couldn’t keep up with John, my legs were tired from the marathon and the 16 mile trail run and what the heck was I doing? It was one of my 2 weeks of non mandatory training. It certainly wasn’t fun to be freezing, tired, off the back, and riding a washboard that would continue for the next 20 miles with nothing much to see around us. I was pleased with myself (although still trying to justify it all day) that I turned around. I felt justified because John turned around not much later. The week of Thanksgiving was supposed to be “ride only if it’s fun”!
Sunday after Thanksgiving, I headed up to visit my friend Nina for the day at her house outside Taos, NM. She lives in an Earthship and it was soooooo cool. Check out this video about them. They are typically off grid and designed with sustainability in mind… passive solar, active solar, made with tires, cans, etc. It was amazing.Check this out too… I want to build one!
We also went to a stupa and it was beautiful. I can’t believe I’ll actually get to see some of these in Nepal in March!
…and then it was back to Boulder, just in time for the snow. I was instructed to do NO cardio for one week, so I went to yoga 4 times and that was about it. It was a really weird feeling to not run, ride, hike, or do anything of that sort. It wasn’t too bad though since last week was a winter wonderland. We got about 8 inches of snow and frigid temps. I got my reprieve and jumped on a plane Friday to go visit more family – my cousin, her family, and my Aunt and Uncle for the weekend in the Ft. Worth area (Burleson). My cousin, Sierra and I, have been very close our whole life. She is more like a sister than a cousin. I think I laugh harder with her than anyone. I got to play with her 2 year old and had a blast (probably because I’m a 2 yr old at heart!) and had a ThanXmas party with her husband’s side of the family. I also got to see my aunt and uncle. Good times! The hard part about racing so much is I don’t have a lot of time to see family, so in the off-season when I’m not racing I have to cram it all in!
Cheeeers!
After a fun-filled weekend (it rained there the whole time), I left the rain and headed back to 8 degrees!
I met with coach at FasCat Coaching to plan the year. My first important race will be a 10 day stage race in Nepal in March. More about that later 
I’ll be starting my base miles complemented with weight training. I do some upper body weight training in the winter, but I’ll be doing some leg weights for the first time in 5 years. Time to show up the tough, manly meatheads on the leg press! hee hee
I had a very unfortunate accident a couple days ago. I installed a pull-up bar in my door frame about a month ago and have been practicing and trying to get stronger. I could do 2.5 pull ups after a couple weeks of practice. I want to get to 5. Sadly, I was pulling up on the bar on Monday night and as I was at the apex of my pull up, the bar gave way. Before I knew what was happening, I was falling horizontally and body slammed the wooden threshold of my doorway hard. I couldn’t breathe for what seemed like minutes, groaning in pain. The damage: bruised ribs. It hurts to breathe, laugh, sneeze, move certain ways… you get the picture. I’m hoping it goes away soon. I was able to complete my gym workout the next day and attempted to go to yoga. That was a BAD idea. I couldn’t do my bike workout yesterday either so I hit the stairmaster at the gym since it doesn’t use a whole lot of sidebody or core action. I didn’t carry weights this time and I was good for about 25 minutes and toughed out the remaining 15. Ouch ouch ouch. What a way to start out the first week of training for the 2012 season!
FAIL(doorway)
I think winter is here to stay. The snow isn’t melting. I’m looking forward to training for next year. Previously, I have done almost exclusively heart rate based training which as been successful for me. This year, with the help of Cyclops and SRM, I will be training with power and watching those wattage numbers grow with the help of Jason at FasCat Coaching!
This week, I’ll do what I can with my stupid bum ribs and hopefully they’ll be healed in a week or two. They better – I’m signed up for an arm balance yoga workshop next weekend!
